Adding Drops of Ammonia to Cycle Tank?
- Thread starter red tiger
- Start date
spanko
Active Member
This from an article I wrote a while back.
"Well we are looking for something to breakdown into ammonia here but how about we just add some ammonia? Duh, right? Well this method can and does work. You need to ensure that the ammonia you use has not additives in it like things to make it smell nicer etc. (read pure ammonia here) Then for every 10 gallons of water you begin to add 5 drops per day. (20 gallons 10 drops, 30 gallons 15 drops etc.) Continue this until you get a reading of about 5 ppm of ammonia. At that point you will want to maintain a reading of 5ppm while testing for nitrites. When you see the nitrites begin to appear cut back on the addition of the ammonia to 2 drops per gallon per day and keep testing for ammonia. When the ammonia and nitrite readings then reach 0 you can stop adding ammonia and do a test for nitrates. At this point you should have a nitrate reading and you will do a large water change, in excess of about 90% and start running a filter with some activated carbon to remove any of the additives from the ammonia. This method to me is a lot more work than adding the fish food or shrimpscallopraw fish etc. but it does work."
Here is the entire article.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/386044/let-s-talk-about-cycling
"Well we are looking for something to breakdown into ammonia here but how about we just add some ammonia? Duh, right? Well this method can and does work. You need to ensure that the ammonia you use has not additives in it like things to make it smell nicer etc. (read pure ammonia here) Then for every 10 gallons of water you begin to add 5 drops per day. (20 gallons 10 drops, 30 gallons 15 drops etc.) Continue this until you get a reading of about 5 ppm of ammonia. At that point you will want to maintain a reading of 5ppm while testing for nitrites. When you see the nitrites begin to appear cut back on the addition of the ammonia to 2 drops per gallon per day and keep testing for ammonia. When the ammonia and nitrite readings then reach 0 you can stop adding ammonia and do a test for nitrates. At this point you should have a nitrate reading and you will do a large water change, in excess of about 90% and start running a filter with some activated carbon to remove any of the additives from the ammonia. This method to me is a lot more work than adding the fish food or shrimpscallopraw fish etc. but it does work."
Here is the entire article.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/386044/let-s-talk-about-cycling
bang guy
Moderator
In my opinion the proper dosage is to start with 1 drop per 10 gallons. Only add a drop of ammonia when it drops below 0.25ppm. Ideally, the ammonia level should be maintained between 0.25 and 0.5ppm. Do not add it everyday, only when ammonia is low. If you get to the point where adding add a drop (per 10 gallons) of ammonia and ammonia stays at zero THEN begin adding a drop (per 10 gallons) every day until after you add your first fish.
Just my opinion.
Just my opinion.
red tiger
Member
My tank, is in its first week of cycle, and for the first 5 days, my ammonia was at 0 and i had cured live rock and live argonite substrate. I did in fact add "NutraFin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplemant" that i used for the first 3 days (25ml 1st ay, 10ml 2nd & 3rd day) and now did put a small amount of flake for the last 2 days.
S
siptang
Guest
Whew~ very ballsy move here. Well, the tank is cycling so no real harm there I suppose.
S
saxman
Guest
Using bottled NH3 is fine for cycling a tank. In fact, I know many folks who like the method because they can control the exact level of NH3 they have in the water.
Add PURE NH3 (no scents or surfactants) until you get a reading of 2 mg/l after an hour. If you don't, you need to add a little more. Then you check the tank for ammonia and nitrites 12 hours later. If you have no readings after 12 hours, then the tank is ready. If however, you have either a measurable level of ammonia or nitrite, then the tank needs to be cycled a little more to handle the load. This is done by waiting for the levels to go down to 0 for the nitrite and the repeat the ammonia.
I've been told by someone I trust a lot that surfactants in the NH3 are OK, and that he and a couple of other large aquaculture facilities use bottled NH3 with surfactants, just no scents, but I'm a bit more cautious...
Add PURE NH3 (no scents or surfactants) until you get a reading of 2 mg/l after an hour. If you don't, you need to add a little more. Then you check the tank for ammonia and nitrites 12 hours later. If you have no readings after 12 hours, then the tank is ready. If however, you have either a measurable level of ammonia or nitrite, then the tank needs to be cycled a little more to handle the load. This is done by waiting for the levels to go down to 0 for the nitrite and the repeat the ammonia.
I've been told by someone I trust a lot that surfactants in the NH3 are OK, and that he and a couple of other large aquaculture facilities use bottled NH3 with surfactants, just no scents, but I'm a bit more cautious...